Despite two yellow cards, England hang on to win their clash with Ireland at
Twickenham with tries from Mike Brown and Anthony Watson

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Vunipola's improved fitness

Billy Vunipola, the England No 8, revealed how hard he has been working at his fitness, after picking up his second man-of-the-match award in three outings in this season’s tournament.

Vunipola’s fitness at international level has often been questioned, but it appears that he is now answering that after another emphatic performance, in which he carried the ball 18 times and made 96 metres.

“I am trying to change the perception people have of me,” he said. “Hopefully, I am doing that. I feel more confident to try things and I think I am fitter.”

Vunipola drew praise from head coach Eddie Jones, who said: “Vunipola was great. He just loves playing rugby. He loves the team environment and loves playing for England. He’s a kid learning to play the game. I thought he was very good today and he’s only going to get better.”

Jones has made Vunipola one of his three vice-captains (Owen Farrell and Mike Brown are the others) to captain Dylan Hartley and it appears to be inspiring him.

“He’s got quite a senior role as vice-captain,” said Jones. “He’s not a great talker but he leads by example. I thought it [vice captaincy] might help but you take a bit of a risk because it sometimes can hinder a guy like him. He’s found the role he’s confident with and he’s providing a very good support mechanism for Dylan [Hartley].”

England now face Wales in a match that will provide a chance for revenge after their Rugby World Cup defeat against them last September, as well as another step to a potential Grand Slam.

“It is going to be another huge challenge,” said Vunipola. “We are certainly not talking about any Grand Slam. We have won three games and have two massive ones ahead of us. So it wouldn’t be right to look too far ahead or get over confident, which we are not.” By Steve James

England v Ireland player ratings

Eddie Jones puts media ban on himself ahead of Welsh clash

Eddie Jones has said that he plans to put a media ban on himself ahead of England’s crunch clash with Wales in a fortnight.

Following a week where the new England coach came under heavy criticism for stating England planned to “target” Ireland’s injury ravaged Johnny Sexton, Jones has declared he plans to step out of the limelight.

“I’m putting a self-imposed media ban on myself before the Wales game,” said Jones. “I will leave that to Warren Gatland, he’s pretty good at it."

On the match itself, the Australian said that he felt England had stepped up a level.

“We were facing a better team today and we probably left 10 to 15 points out there, as we couldn’t always convert our attacking pressure,” claimed Jones. “We weren’t quite sharp enough and we were letting them get a hand in at crucial times.

“Itoje has gone up a level from whatever a Vauxhall Viva is but we need to let him develop as a Test player and go from there. Vunipola was great. He just loves playing rugby. He loves the team environment and loves playing for England.”

Matt Dawson praises change of culture for England

Ex-England player Matt Dawson, in wake of Vunipola's Man of the Match game, praises the new England culture.

"Vunipola’s comments about not enjoying the World Cup and not knowing his team-mates were all about socialising. Now there is a beer in the changing room for them after the game and sometimes the coaching staff tell them to go and hang out together so they can get to know each other. That camaraderie underpins rugby union and Eddie Jones gets it."

Ireland's disallowed try

Stat attack

England head into Wales 'title' game unbeaten

Despite an injury ravaged team and having so much tackling to do, Ireland are a very hard team to crack. Ireland will rightly feel aggrieved at the TMO call late in the game that denied Van Der Flier. The current TMO law cost them and they could have had a chance to sneak an unlikely win.

But England were worth the win and will go with increasing confidence into the massive clash with Wales here in two weeks.

71 mins: England 21 Ireland 10

Ireland have had all the ball since the second English try. But they are not making too many inroads and look a little tired. England will be happy to defend here in the centre of the pitch for a while.

Suddenly Ireland break through Dillane. They are hauled down five metres short. They get a penalty. Was it Haskell? Rory Best thinks so. He asks ref to look. But no call. Could have been a second yellow for the self proclaimed 'Brand'.

England dominate stats, but not making it count

Half-time: England 6 Ireland 3

That's the half.

England will be frustrated all their pressure failed to earn them a try. Ireland's scramble defence has been very good, but they will be concerned how much first up yards they are giving away further down the field.

39 mins: England 6 Ireland 3

38 mins: England 6 Ireland 3

Ireland look to put the ball through some phases. Very narrow at the moment.

Sexton eventually kicks to Brown on the edge of the 22. Brown holds it and now England go wide from deep.

Nowell takes it the 10m line and Haskell to near halfway. Vunipola is working hard here today, making lots of hard yards. England keep making yards on each pass, just simple stuff. They are now on the edge of the English 22 but a forward pass ends it.

25 mins: England 3 Ireland 3

24 mins: England 3 Ireland 3

England have a go at a driving maul about 45 metres out, then suddenly Vinipola finds space on the blindside and charges up the sideline. He doesn't quite put full steam into it for some reason and slows down and is just bundled into touch, inches short.

Close call. Sometimes in space though, he seems to hold back instead of charging full steam ahead.

9 mins: England 0 Ireland 3

England have a series of phases, marching into the Irish 22 before losing control after eight phases and settling for a kick to touch in the Irish 22. But we come back for a penalty against Farell for a neck roll.

Fighting talk

The enhanced security measures at Twickenham do not include constraining the England head coach from igniting off-field fires with his inflammatory views on the well-being of Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton, writes Mick Cleary.

The topic has dominated the build-up with Ireland captain Rory Best stating after his captain’s run on Friday that “it is just not the way we go about our business”.

There is little doubt that the fuss and froth will have a significant bearing on the match itself, Eddie Jones’s first trip to the home of English rugby as the man in charge, with Sexton either responding with an all-consuming display or buckling in trying too hard to prove him wrong. Best has no doubt that it will galvanise the Lions’ fly-half.

“Johnny thrives on the big occasions, is the life and soul of our Ireland collective, and you will see that in front of the 80,000 at Twickenham,” said Best, dismissing suggestions he might lend Sexton a helping hand after Jones expressed concerns about the fly-half’s recent head injuries, and even suggested that the Irishman’s parents would be anxious. “He is a big boy and can deal with it. I’m sure he has been talking to his family. If I put an arm round Johnny, he would wonder what is going on. He is unbelievably strong and competitive. He is the guy who looks after the boys here. This is a sideshow. He can deal with it.”

"George Ford and Owen Farrell have grown too close for comfort at times in their first two Six Nations games and if they are not careful it could cost England points when they take on Ireland this weekend," writesGreenwood.

"The issue is not their friendship, which stretches back to the age group international teams they both played in. Nor is it the quality of the play they have shown in the games against Scotland and Italy when they have worked well together, shown real touches of class and guided their team to much needed wins."

No more sideshow, Bob

England arrived at Twickenham earlier today and, as reported by Gavin Mairs yesterday, they have ditched the “sideshow” of stopping their team bus short of the Lion Gate entrance and walking the remaining distance to the stadium. Look ...

Cleary's crystal ball

Afternoon everybody. Are we excited? James Stafford, who will be talking you through all the action this afternoon as Eddie Jones's side take on Joe Schmidt's Ireland at Twickenham, is currently typing away furiously as he follows the Italy vs Scotland match over in the Eternal City, but he will be here shortly.

Itoje is promoted to the starting XV for his second cap after Joe Launchbury was ruled out of the contest against the champions by a hamstring problem, with Courtney Lawes supplying second-row cover from the bench. Elliot Daly is on the bench.

"Joe Launchbury is unlucky to miss out through injury. Maro Itoje is selected as a result and we're pleased for him," head coach Eddie Jones said, ahead of his biggest test yet as coach.

Coach Joe Schmidt made five changes to the starting team beaten 10-9 by France last time out, with powerful centre McCloskey picked in place of injured Ulster team-mate Jared Payne, while Van der Flier comes in for Sean O'Brien (hamstring) at openside flanker.

Keith Earls starts on the left wing in place of the sidelined Dave Kearney, with lock Donnacha Ryan taking over from concussion victim Mike McCarthy in the second row. But there was better news for Ireland at tighthead prop, with the experienced Mike Ross fit again following hamstring trouble.

Daly attended Whitgift School in Croydon, whose former pupils include his fellow rugby stars Danny Cipriani and Marland Yarde, in addition to England cricketer Jason Roy and footballer Victor Moses. Daly and Yarde starred when Whitgift won the prestigious Daily Mail Under-18 Cup at Twickenham in 2010 and 2011.

Rose through the ranks

Daly has played for England at under-16, 18 and 20 levels, in addition to representing England Saxons. He was a member of the England team defeated 33-22 by New Zealand in the 2011 Junior World Championship final in Padova, Italy, when Daly's team-mates that day included current senior England team members Owen Farrell, George Ford, Mako Vunipola and Joe Launchbury.

Owen Farrell - a former junior teammate of Elliot Daly

A lost cricketer?

Daly was a talented cricketer as a teenager, representing England Under-15s and Surrey at various age-group levels. He was an all-rounder, with fast bowling his forte, and appeared good enough to possibly make the first-class county grade before he decided to go down the rugby union route.

Tamed by Lions

Daly has the rare distinction of being an English rugby player who has played and scored points against the British and Irish Lions. Daly was selected for a Barbarians XV that kicked off the 2013 Lions' Australia tour in Hong Kong alongside players like Sergio Parisse, Joe Rokocoko, Dimitri Yachvili and Martin Castrogiovanni, and he kicked a penalty, but the Lions ran out 59-8 winners in stamina-sapping heat and humidity.

Elliot Daly in action for Wasps Photo: ELLIOT DALY

Temper troubles

Daly served a three-week ban in 2014 after being cited for "acts contrary to good sportsmanship." He admitted verbally abusing match referee Ian Tempest during an Aviva Premiership game between Wasps and Exeter, and faced a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing. Daly subsequently publicly apologised to the official.

What are they saying?

"I have been pleased with the hard work and attitude the squad have shown since Italy. Everyone wants to be on the field on Saturday so there were some tough selection calls." - Eddie Jones, England coach

"Someone like Eddie Jones is going to throw things out there [in the media], throw some comments out there, and that's great. We'll take that and bat it off. We've got to focus on what we're doing. I think there's a temptation to be drawn into something there with what he has to say, about any team, whether it's us or any team that he's coaching against." - Simon Easterby, Ireland forwards coach

Will the Red Rose bloom? It is hard to fault England after away victories over Scotland and Italy launched the Eddie Jones era in solid, if unspectacular fashion. Tougher tests await, however, starting with Saturday's visit of Ireland to Twickenham. The reigning champions may be in the midst of an injury crisis, but they are a still a live threat to the optimism surrounding the new regime.

England's attacking shape England boast the best defence after keeping their try-line intact during the first two rounds, a feat that has not been managed by any of their rivals, but they have been less successful in attack. There have been bright moments, including the build up to Jack Nowell's try in Edinburgh and George Ford crossing at the Stadio Olimpico, but the old failings of a lack in fluency and imagination remain as apparent as ever. Jones knows it's the element of England's game that will take longest to shape and plans to have his backline standing flatter.

Ireland in last-chance saloon Irish hopes of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Six Nations crown are remote following a draw with Wales and defeat to France, but they know a loss at Twickenham would consign them to the bleakest of title defences. They have been beset by injury and Joe Schmidt's aerial tactics are now being questioned, presenting England as a crucial fixture for coach and players.

Will Greenwood's verdict

Owen Farrell and George Ford is not a misfiring partnership. The problem, rather, is the way they operate as a 10-12 hub within the current England framework. Created out of necessity as much as a coaching vision, their partnership is seen by many as a stop-gap brought about by injuries to the big hitter Manu Tuilagi, as well as the up-and-comers Henry Slade and Ollie Devoto. Luther Burrell, while he has started to put in performances that highlight why his exclusion from the World Cup squad was such a tough call, is still fighting his way back into contention.